Arcane Circle

Background & Story

Throughout their years together, Directors Avita Kha and Tao-Sin Amariyo have worked together on many projects, but among them, there were theories and ideas that never truly progressed farther than some of the others that they explored with one another. One such theory, focused upon the vastness of the universe beyond their home, Hydaelyn. The Void was one such place, dark and horrible, and interactions with such a place were rightly outlawed throughout most of their star. However, if the Void existed... who was to say that there wasn't something else out there? What if it was just, one place, of countless?An answer to their question didn't come to them for years, until the realm of Iochemos was first introduced to them via a tome they obtained, written in a language that neither of them recognized. Together, over the course of many moons, they worked together to translate the text within, and discovered that the text they had been slaving over was in fact, a journal written from the perspective of a man who claimed to belong to an order of monks, from a place far, far beyond their star. In this journal, he referred to his home as a place called Iochemos, a frigid realm with three moons, and an order devoted to the collection and distrubution of knowledge. More than that, however, he expressed that the book served as a key of sorts, for those who travelled throughout the stars to return home, when they had need.What was not included, however, were the instructions that explained how exactly that worked. After some amount of experimentation, Avita suggested that they use it as one might an arcanist's focus, to use the pages themselves, as the key—and it worked, to some small degree. A portal, no larger than that of a watermelon opened up before their very eyes, and the faintest glimpse of a world so far beyond theirs, came into view. The portal they opened, however, was unstable and closed shortly after a small, horned rabbit came tumbling through. (A little creature they thoroughly tested for disease, and ensured would survive in a different climate. No alien rabbits were harmed throughout their research).It wasn't until their study of the Core, that the idea of exploring Iochemos returned. With help from the stabilizing effect it had upon Tao-Sin's portals, and assistance from the Circle's most knowledeable arcanist, and third Director, Sahvi Amariyo... a true gateway had been opened, to Iochemos. Crisp around its edges, and as stable as one would expect a door to be, the pathway to another world was open to them, and after a moon or two spent preparing themselves for the journey, they stepped inside.There, on Iochemos, they met the order of monks that the journal spoke about, who greeted them with respect and kindness. Key among them, was that of Brother Bramley, who sat with them for hours and answered their onslaught of questions. He told them, of the vastness of the universe, and all that lay out there for them to learn and explore—places like Iochemos. However, when the questions turned towards the origin of the Omen, he had few answer. Instead, he directed them to another realm, where someone who could answer their questions had come to reside. Dakimus, a realm of chaos, and paradise.

General Information

— ^(Formerly) A massive and imposing orb of dark energy, surrounding a core composed of complex machina.— Created by a mysterious sorcerer by the name of Gal'gizath—a lieutenant of the warlord Vagrurok—for the purposes of data aquisition. Under the directives of his master, Gal'gizath sends these dark machines to different realms to determine whether they are fit for conquest and consumption. It is said to measure a number of parameters, including but not limited to the Aetherial Density, Time Dilation, Gravity, and Corruptability of a realm's people. It is likely not the only one.

Background & Story

The Arcane Circle's first learned of the Omen when Y'dessa and Y'nilla—paranormal investigators and close friends of the Circle—contacted them in search of assistance regarding a contract they had picked up in La Noscea. More specifically, a contract involving a series of disappearances and strange events occurring near an isolated town deep within the countryside. Although it was neither the first nor last time that the Circle had worked with the two on a project together, it quickly became one of the most eventful.Shortly after arriving in La Noscea, and meeting with the pair of investigators, the Circle's expedition group started the hike into the countryside with their equipment, underneath cloudy skies. Before they even arrived at the site, an ominous hum filled the air, and a dense fog filled the environment. When the town finally came into view, the fog had become so thick that it was difficult to tell its status from a distance, and the sound that broke through the silence had become impossible to ignore.The town itself, looked as though it had gone through years of decay, and any signs of residential presence had long disappeared. It was truly as if everyone had disappeared from the area a decade prior, and left the little hamlet to rot within the fog. Confused, the Circle explored the town further, investigating empty homes in search of strange voices that began to speak to them from within the fog. Only, it became clear that the longer they spent within the fog, the louder those voices would become, and the worse the things it tried to convince them to do. Panic and frustration were quick to spread, stifled only by their collective determination.Together, they worked their way deeper into the town, and discovered a large set of scaffolding that climbed up the face of a cliffside. At the top, they discovered the source of it all: A massive, black orb of energy with a sorcerer standing underneath, pulling vast amounts of energy from its presence. Upon noting the Circle's expedition force, things quickly turned violent, and they were forced to put the sorcerer to rest. With his death, the fog faded away, leaving only the Omen behind, and a new responsibility. They had to get rid of it, and make sure that no one else drew energy from it, to activate its dangerous effects. In a series of shifts, various members of the Circle spent their nights in La Noscea, camping out in a small tent and ensuring that no travellers past by, while they worked on how they would handle its removal. After some time, they sought out the help of another member of the Circle, Risyra, a geomancer who helped to bury it within stone for the time being.After moons of collaborative thought, the most simple solution was presented: "What if we used conventional explosives?" In the end, this was the solution that turned out to be the most effective. Upon gathering the requisite materials and assembling their expedition team once more, the Circle made their way to the site in La Noscea to find that the Omen had unearthed itself, and was beginning to climb back into the air once more. With little time to act, they made their way through the town and up the large scaffolding that led to the dark orb's resting place. When they arrived, however, they were ambushed by corrupted creatures that they later realized were the former members of the town, warped beyond recognition.Bunkered underneath Tao-Sin's ward, they pushed closer to the Omen and fought off the assaulting hoard within. When the last of the creatures had been felled, Sahvi set the charges and gave the word. They only had a few moments to clear the area before they went off, and took shelter together with one another upon the scaffolding that they had climbed previously. Seconds ticked by, and finally, the loud bang of an explosion rung out throughout the area, followed by an eerie silence. From over the cliffside, a thick, grey miasma filled the air, reducing what little life had managed to regrow to ash and dust and pouring directly across the ward.In time, it too faded, and the expedition team made their way up the scaffolding to take in the scene. The dark energy that covered the Omen's internal components had been used to fuel the miasma, and all that remained was ruined metal and a single component, that remained untouched. Despite their attempts to destroy it, the Core proved impervious to damage, and so it became their responsibility to watch over it. Together, they cleared the area, and took the device back with them to their estate via a portal—a portal that Tao-Sin, realized was much more stable than normal...

General Information

— A unique and powerful device uncovered from the Omen after the rest of the orb had been destroyed. Covered in symbols not found on Hydaelyn, it has been confirmed to have come from another place entirely.— Originally tasked with handling navigation for the Omen, the Core has a significant stabilizaiton effect on portals opened nearby it, and allows for gateways opened to places beyond Hydaelyn to be opened safely, and without the traditional risks that come with opening such pathways. It has its limitations, but its possibilities and capabilities are vast and impressive.

General Overview

— A prison overtaken by Rozzon—lieutenant of the demonic warlord, Vagrurok—for the purposes of corrupting and converting prisoners of war to the warlord’s side. After having been killed by a group of heroes called the Arcane Circle, the existing warden of the prison was freed and much of the realm’s broken nature, restored. It is still a dark, and empty place, but it is no longer broken into pieces or torn at the seams. A prison realm is still a prison realm, after all.— Dark, damp, and seemingly-vacant, the realm appears to be localized entirely within what appears to have been a prison of sorts. Long, empty hallways are filled with cells that might've been empty for centuries, or perhaps only for a day. The passing of time in such a place doesn't seem to represent itself, in any way. The only light in the realm comes from a singular orb of light in the distant sky that never moves, and from cold, electrical lights that line the endless hallways of the prison.— The occasional glimpse of the outside world gives one a glimpse of... almost nothing. Apart from that single point of light in the distant sky, the only life that seems to fill the realm is the slow movement of massive, whale-like creatures that seem to float through the endless abyss. Whatever this realm might've been, eons ago, doesn't seem to matter. The prison at its center, is the only thing left, and it just might've been the only thing that there will ever be

General Overview

— A unique realm, in that it consists almost entirely of aether. Visiting it is impossible, since it's a place that doesn't actually have a surface to stand on, however, it is one of the principle realms taught to novice Riftweavers. Simply attuned to, its chaotic energy offers infinite potential to those with the creative mind to make use of it, and the desire to hone their abilities with practice and devotion to the art.

General Overview

— A dark and cruel realm, wherein creatures that feast upon aether make their lairs. Largely unexplored by those who require aether to live, it's unclear whether it is the Void known to people on Hydaelyn or something else entirely. Regardless, its power is something to be feared. Only those capable of withstanding its effects, and controlling them, should look in its direction—and typically, not even then. Nox is not something to be trifled with.